The use of medical marijuana is highly essential in saving people’s lives. It is currently illegal in certain states, but 23 out of 50 use it for a greater cause. Although there is controversy that it is only used recreationally, marijuana has many health benefits. For example, marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer, and AIDS. It can also reduce side effects of harsh drugs used to treat illnesses safely. Marijuana is also less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day.

Many people believe that smoking marijuana can be as damaging as tobacco. There is very little evidence that smoking marijuana represents a significant health risk. Although cannabis has been smoked widely in western countries for more than four decades, there have been no reported cases of lung cancer or emphysema attributed to marijuana. Individuals against the use of marijuana claim it can be as, or more addicting, than cigarettes. For some users, perhaps as many as 10 percent, it leads to psychological dependence. But, there is so scant evidence that it carries a risk of true addiction. Unlike cigarette smokers, most users do not take the drug on a daily basis, unlike nicotine, alcohol, and hard drugs that have extremely addicting properties. This can be much more damaging to one’s health and can easily cause death.

It is ironic that cigarettes are legal, even though they cause numerous types of cancers and kill 440,000 people yearly. There is however, a significant amount of evidence proving it has medical use that can help many people struggling. People have used marijuana as a medical treatment for thousands of years. It is not man-made like other lethal drugs and it poses no threat to one’s health. Also, there is no proof of second-party harm being caused by users of marijuana. Yet second-party harm is caused by substances such as tobacco and alcohol, both of which are lawful. Marijuana should be legalized in all states to help treat and relieve medical complications.